Betalbatim: Navelim Sporting Club sealed a dramatic 4-1 victory via tiebreaker against Sporting Club of Davorlim to book their spot in the semifinals of the 4th Betalbatim Villagers Cup, held at the Panchayat Ground, Betalbatim.
The match began at a frenetic pace, with both teams showcasing impressive skills and attacking intent. Davorlim missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 17th minute, when Ajay Raj failed to convert from close range.
Navelim capitalized on the missed chance just eight minutes later. In the 25th minute, Macvin Gomes opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effort that caught the Davorlim goalkeeper completely off guard. However, Davorlim struck back in the 33rd minute with a well-taken goal by Alent Colaco to level the scores at 1-1 going into half-time.
The second half saw chances for both sides. Davorlim came close to taking the lead in the 50th minute when Milton Colaco’s powerful shot from distance rattled the crossbar. They nearly found the winner in the dying minutes of regulation time, but Navelim’s defense held firm, and the match ended 1-1.
In the ensuing penalty shootout, Navelim SC held their nerve. Noah Luis, Rehan Sayed, and Mohammad successfully converted their spot-kicks, while Sporting Club of Davorlim failed to score a single penalty. The shootout ended 3-0 in Navelim’s favour, sealing an overall 4-1 win including regulation time.
The hero of the match was Navelim SC’s goalkeeper Selvin Gomes, who was awarded Man of the Match for his outstanding performance between the posts, saving all three penalties faced. The award was presented by Jackson Fernandes, club member and organiser.
With this win, Navelim SC now marches into the semifinals and remains a strong contender for the title.
